During times of extreme political and social change, Stevie Wonder's voice and songwriting served as cultural and spiritual guideposts to many a listener, often lending insight and a barometer with which to measure the ways of the world. But that was largely during the golden phase of his career, generally regarded as being the late '60s through 1980's Hotter Than July. His work in the mid-'80s through the '90s was marginal in comparison, only hinting at glimpses of former brilliance, sugar-coated by over-polished production and radio-friendly content. So with a decade passing since his last full-length, 1995's Conversation Piece, people waited with bated breath for a sign of his return…and wondered which Wonder would show up: would it be the socially conscious genius who wrote anthems for a generation, or the R&B crooner who dominated quiet storm radio? Thankfully, it's a blend of both.

If you didn't know that Electric was completed in 2000, you could easily assume that it was recorded back in the 1970s. That's because this solo offering isn't much different from the recordings that Paul Rodgers made with Bad Company and Free during his youth. Instead of trying to be relevant to the alternative rock scene of 2000 like some veteran rockers have done, Rodgers excels by sticking with what he does best: 1970s-type arena rock that is slick and bluesy at the same time. "Freedom," "Deep Blue," "Jasmine Flower," and other selections don't break any new ground for the British singer (who wrote and produced all of the material himself), and Electric will hardly be considered cutting-edge by 2000 standards.

Rockin' Every Night – Live in Japan is a live album recorded by Gary Moore at Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan in 1983, during the Corridors of Power tour. Despite being released in Japan in 1983, it was not given a European release until 1986. The 2002 CD reissue included three live tracks recorded at the Marquee, London on 26 August 1982, originally from a bonus EP included with the first 25,000 vinyl copies of Moore's earlier album Corridors of Power.

Cet enregistrement, comme les mémorables Fées du Rhin d'Offenbach, chef-d'oeuvre de l'édition 2002 où Friedemann Layer était déjà au pupitre, fait partie de la série consacrée aux oeuvres "redécouvertes", si l'on peut dire, par René Koering à travers le Festival de Radio France-Montpellier dont on saluera au passage la programmation courageuse et originale.

'Some of the most joyously delightful music that you will ever hear’ (American Record Guide). ‘A most striking performance, beautifully modulated, elegantly phrased … very well recorded indeed’ (BBC Record Review)

O Negative, Tiamat, Sisters of Mercy, and sixth album The Antidote finds the Portuguese group existing in its own unique, creative headspace. Bolstered by a thoroughly enveloping production - which carefully places lush, gothic textures into harsh, metallic realms, and vice versa - and accomplished, memorable songwriting, The Antidote is easily the group's most ambitious effort. The band utilizes a rich sonic palette that smartly balances melodic hooks, keyboard textures and an impressively strong foundation of steely guitar riffs; moody, rousing numbers ("Capricorn at Her Feet," "Crystal Gazing," "The Southern Deathstyle") mingle with lengthy, spacious excursions ("Lunar Still," "As We Eternally Sleep on It") and exemplary fist-pumping anthems that toe the line between the black/death metal grit and commercial sheen ("In and Above Men," "A Walk on the Darkside")…